


Circuits And Wires

by brobeckology, egoanesthesia



Series: Overcome Each Moment [1]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Autistic David Rose, David Rose Has ADHD, Fluff, Homoerotic Boundary Respecting, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sensory Overload
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:54:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28518219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brobeckology/pseuds/brobeckology, https://archiveofourown.org/users/egoanesthesia/pseuds/egoanesthesia
Summary: Patrick comforts David after seeing him go nonverbal from sensory overload for the first time.~~It was a particularly busy day at Rose Apothecary. There had been a steady flow of customers since they opened, and David and Patrick hadn't had a chance to sit down all morning.The extra foot traffic brought on by Singles Week seemed to put Patrick in a good mood. Meanwhile, David had been pacing the floor for the past ten minutes, twisting his rings and waving his hands around more than usual.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Overcome Each Moment [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089056
Comments: 25
Kudos: 177





	Circuits And Wires

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Cris (@egoanesthesia) for helping me write this !!
> 
> Work title is from Circuits And Wires by Motion City Soundtrack; Series title is from Even If It Kills Me by Motion City Soundtrack

_I know there's something wrong within my faulty brain_

_I lack the proper behavior_

_My temper rattled tongue can't seem to force it out_

_The words that linger inside me_

_Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all_

_Don't even think you know the reason_

_Can't speak, can't speak, can't speak at all_

_Don't even try to understand_

_~~_

It was a particularly busy day at Rose Apothecary. There had been a steady flow of customers since they opened, and David and Patrick hadn't had a chance to sit down all morning. 

The extra foot traffic brought on by Singles Week seemed to put Patrick in a good mood. Meanwhile, David had been pacing the floor for the past ten minutes, twisting his rings and waving his hands around more than usual. 

"Excuse me one moment, my partner and I have to check something in the back," Patrick says to the customer he's helping. "I'll be back in two minutes to ring you up."

Patrick gently places his hand between David's shoulder blades and guides him into the stockroom. 

The tightness in David’s chest increases as he makes his way to the back, expecting a lecture about how it was impossible to make sales if he didn't talk to the customers. 

"Everything okay, David?" Patrick asks.

"I'm sorry... my mind's just not… I'm sorry. I'm fine," David says, looking down at the floor as he continues to fidget with his rings. The words came out sharper than he had intended.

"You don't sound fine, baby," Patrick says, placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. 

"I'm sorry, I-" David says, taking a step back and holding his hands close to his chest. 

Patrick takes his hand off David's shoulder. "David, baby, it's okay. I'm not mad. Can you tell me what's wrong?" 

David shakes his head, eyes squeezed shut. 

"Do we need to go to the hospital?"

He shakes his head again, more emphatically this time. 

"Okay, do you wanna just hang out back here for a while?"

David nods. 

"Okay, baby, I'm gonna go back out and deal with the customers. You can stay right here for as long as you need to. I'll have my phone on me, just text me if you need anything." 

Patrick gives David one more gentle smile before turning around and heading back out to the sales floor. 

David exhales deeply and sits down on the floor behind a stack of boxes. He presses his palms flat into the hardwood floor, trying to ground himself. He lets a few tears slip out as he chokes back a sob. He can’t let Patrick walk back in and see him like this. His sweet, amazing boyfriend is probably already overcome with worry. 

He takes in another shaky breath as he wipes at the tears, trying to get himself under control before Patrick can come back and think something is more wrong than it is. 

He starts to flap his hands to release the excess energy, but stops himself upon hearing Patrick knock on the doorframe. 

"David? I'm just about to head over to the café, do you want anything?" Patrick asks. 

David nods. He squeezes his eyes shut and purses his lips, then opens his mouth to talk but no words come out. 

"Caramel macchiato skim, two sweeteners, and a sprinkle of cocoa powder?" Patrick offers. 

David nods vigorously. 

Patrick returns a few minutes later with David's coffee and a tea for himself. He sets David's coffee on the shelf closest to the door of the stockroom before heading back out to re-open the store. 

David reaches up from his spot on the floor to retrieve the coffee. He takes a long, slow sip, letting the sweetness of the caramel wash over him, drowning out all of the noise. 

When the front of the store sounds quieter, David pulls out his phone and types a two word message to Patrick. 

_**David:** need hold _

_**Patrick:** Okay, I'm coming. _

David carefully stands up when he hears Patrick’s footsteps approaching. 

Patrick quickly makes his way over to where David is standing and gingerly wraps his arms around his boyfriend.

“No,” David whimpers.

“No?” Patrick asks, pulling away.

“No… squish.” David says softly, pulling him back. 

“Squish?” Patrick tightens his embrace. “Better?”

David nods, the tension in his muscles finally dissipating as he sinks into Patrick's arms. His breathing slows, and he lets himself relax against his boyfriend’s body. 

Eventually, Patrick manages to shuffle them over to sit down on the couch, David still wrapped up in his arms. 

“Feeling any better, baby?” Patrick asks. 

“Mmm… a little,” David replies. He gathers up all of his remaining energy and looks up, meeting Patrick’s eyes. 

“You don’t have to say anything, but I’m right here if you want to talk, okay?” Patrick says gently.

David breaks their eye contact in order to pillow his head on Patrick’s chest, letting his boyfriend’s heartbeat calm him enough to get the words out. 

"Okay, it's just like… there's too much going into my brain at once and none of my thoughts will turn into words that make sense,” David says. “Or when there are words it's just like, the connection between my brain and my mouth is broken?"

Patrick nods, his arms tightening around David’s waist. 

"Th-thank you," David sobs. 

"For what?" Patrick asks. 

"Just… everything. You're the only one who's actually listened, even when I had nothing to say. Everyone else just… assumed I was giving them the silent treatment and tried to force me to talk and then like, got mad at me for not making any sense and-" He trails off. 

"I care about you, David. I'm just going to need you to promise me one thing."

"Hmm?"

"Promise me next time this happens, you're not going to apologize to me."

David looks back at Patrick, confused. 

"David, listen to me. You do not need to apologize to me for having bad days and needing space, okay?"

"I'll try. It's just… no one has ever been like this with me so it might take a while to get used to."

“That’s all I ask baby, just try, and remember that you can tell me anything.” Patrick says, his tone gentle. “Now, if you’re comfortable, I’d like to ask if there’s anything I can do for next time, or anything you need from me?”

David takes a deep breath. No one had ever asked him that before. "I like… hugs. Hugs are good. And like, _firm_ touches. But not hands. Don't grab my hands. I need to like, move my hands," he says, gesticulating.

Patrick smiles and nods knowingly. "Anything else?"

"Mmm… coffee helped." David adds, his lips twisting into a small smile. 

“I’ll always bring you coffee, David.” 


End file.
